Birthday Present
by silver drip
Summary: AU: On a spur of the moment decision the Cullens choose to stay in Denali instead of moving to Forks. How will fate make Bella and Edward meet?


**Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this brilliant story that is ****Twilight****. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline. ****This is just a oneshot.**

**Set a few years after the Cullens decide to not go to Forks and to stay in Denali. **

Edward's Point of View

Normally in our household we never celebrated birthdays but for Alice she always felt a need to give everyone a present.

Ever since we had decide to stay a few years more in Denali instead of moving to Forks like we had planned Alice had been a little weird. Oddly enough two months ago she went back to her old self.

She came skipping into my room with a wrapped gift behind her back. "Happy birthday Edward!" Alice said happily and handed me the present.

"Alice why do you feel the need to get me a gift every year?" I asked. In truth I didn't mind her getting me a gift but I did mind how it reminded me of what I lost- my ability to age. It was a simple thing humans took for granted.

"Edward it's your birthday. Everyone deserves a present on there birthday." I rolled my eyes at her and put the gift beside me without opening it. "Aren't you going to open it?" Alice asked.

"Yes." She waited patiently for me to pick it back up.

"Then why aren't you opening it?" I laughed.

"I didn't say I was opening it right now." She pouted then smiled at me.

"No matter. I already know you are going to love it." She left my room the same way she entered it- skipping.

I glanced down at the gift. I really did want to open it but I wanted to annoy Alice more.

After a half an hour I couldn't resist. I picked up the gift and ripped off the dark blue wrapping paper.

It was a book with a golden color that matched my room back in Forks perfectly.

I traced the title with my fingers. Foolish Wishes.

"It's going to be on the top of the New York Times Best Sellers List in a few weeks." I hadn't even heard Alice sneak back into my room.

I noticed that the author's name was missing from the cover. I flipped through a few pages but there was still no name.

"Who's the author?" Alice shrugged with a smile.

"The author didn't want the publicity. I'm guessing who ever it is doesn't like attention." Alice cleaned up the abandoned wrapping paper I had left on the floor and left.

I read through chapter index. _Chapter one: The Wish of Wealth, Chapter two: The Wish of Beauty, Chapter three: The Wish for World Peace . . . Chapter 15: The wish of Immortality._

I flipped to chapter fifteen almost automatically.

_It's one of the first wishes we all make. Though a few years later when we see how repetitive the world is we are glad the wish didn't come true. Immortality would be by far the loneliest wish one could make. . . _I couldn't stop reading. It was all my thoughts written down and explained. The author even hit on a few reasons I hadn't even thought of.

I read the chapter on immortality five more times before I finally started reading the other chapters. I couldn't stop reading it was all just so deep. The topics that were touched on were too complex for anyone who has lived for less then eighty years.

When I was human I never even scratched the surface of some of the things in the book and as a vampire with over a hundred years under my belt I had only thought of the obvious parts.

I read the book over and over again.

This was by far the best birthday present I had ever received.

* * *

"Edward!" Alice called down to me from the living room. I reluctantly put down my book and made my way downstairs. Alice and Tanya were sitting on the couch in front of the TV. "Look!" Alice said while pointing at the TV. 

". . .best selling book of this year and we still have no idea who the author is." One of the two news casters said.

"Word on the street Cathy is that there is going to be a book signing in Chicago." A intern handed Cathy a piece of paper.

"Actually it's been confirmed! The author of critically acclaimed Foolish Wishes is going to appear at a locally owned bookstore in Chicago, Illinois next week on the fifth. And here is the kicker. The author is also going to be releasing the sequel!" The other news caster flipped.

"But there first book was only released five months ago!" Cathy nodded.

"They are only selling the new books in locally owned stores a week after the book signings, too bad for Borders. So if you want the new book a week before everyone else you are going to have to go all the way to Chicago. . ."

* * *

Jasper, Alice, and I stood in a mile long line outside of the bookstore with too many humans to count around us. Jasper had been holding his breath since we had entered city limits. All the humans and mixed emotions were driving him insane. 

"You don't have to be here Jasper. I can go by myself." I said loud enough so that he could hear it over the crowd.

_I'm not here for you I'm here to get the new book and to meet the mystery author. _Jasper said through his thoughts rather then breathing in the human scented air to talk.

"I heard that the author chose this bookstore because one of there high school friends opened it." A woman in the line said.

"What that's impossible. Angela Webber is only twenty one. I doubt a twenty one year old could write this book. Any ways I heard that the author was a gay sixty year old man named Carl Rafting." Another woman who looked like a local said. I tuned out of there gossiping.

"So Alice, who is the author?" I whispered. Jasper leaned in to hear her answer.

"Why should I tell you? In five minutes you'll be able to see for yourself." Jasper calmed down my annoyance and impatient with a wave of calm.

After a few minutes we made it to the entrance of the bookstore. There were a few police stationed around and inside.

A heavenly scent was coming out from the bookstore. As the three of us got further and further into the store and closer to the unnamed author the scent became stronger and more luscious. Jasper and Alice seemed unaffected.

"How can you stand that?" I asked Alice as the line moved forward slightly.

"Don't worry Edward, you can handle it and it's definitely will be worth it in the long run." Alice gave me a reassuring hug and Jasper gave us a curious look wondering what we were talking about. "What ever you do Jazz, don't breath in." He nodded.

The author was hidden behind a curtain so that the paparazzi couldn't take a picture of them.

People were going one by one behind the curtain to meet the author, get there book signed, and get the new book. No wonder it was taking so long.

One of the police motioned our group forward. Alice went in first. I could hear the conversation easily.

"It's so nice to finally meet you." Alice's high pitched voice said. "I'm Alice Cullen. My brother is a big fan of your work. My husband also loves your book. . ." Alice dominated the conversation.

"Next." I was called forward. The scent was almost unbearable as I stepped through the curtains.

A beautiful woman with long brunette hair was sitting behind a table surrounded by her newest book.

She raised her head to see who had come in and brown eyes met gold. My thirst was forgotten immediately.I felt an electric shock run down my whole body when she smiled.

"Hello, I'm Isabella Swan."

**Review and check out my other story A Missed Year.**


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